Customer protection: A study in contrasts

Last week Nestlé issued an international warning that glass may be found in some of its speciality coffees. Newspapers have been used to disseminate this message and advise customers of the action they should take. However, the format by which this has been done in Malta and UK, together with the action to be taken, were somewhat different.

In the UK, Nestlé placed adverts covering between a quarter to a third of a page so that readers were less likely to miss the warning. In last Friday's edition of The Times a short report announced the recall of these speciality products. This could easily have been missed. In both countries customers were advised to discontinue using these coffees and a Freephone number was given for the use of customers but the messages thereafter differed considerably. In the UK purchasers were invited to take note of the batch numbers and best before dates of any jars and report them by phone. A full refund would be given. In Malta customers must take any jars they possess to Lija, where they will be entitled to a replacement product. Thus, Maltese and Gozitan consumers are expected to find the time and undertake the cost of travelling in order to get a replacement product rather than their money back.

I will refrain from any comment but would be interested if the government's Consumer Protection Division has a view on this matter.